Debussy vs. Ravel

[lisztmusicfan]

Which one is your favorite and why? And also, what pieces by these two do you like? Please leave comments only pertaining to these two, thanks

[evitaevita]

Which one is your favorite and why? And also, what pieces by these two do you like? Please leave comments only pertaining to these two, thanks

I really don't have a favourite one... I just believe that Ravel's style is more to my taste.

From Debussy's works, these are which I can think of:
-1st Arabesque
-Suite Bergamasque (Clair de lune)
-Reverie
-Nocurtne
-Pour le piano
-Preludes (Danseuses de Delfphes, Voiles, Le vent dans la plaine, Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir, La cathedrale engloutie, I can't write the name of all preludes I like!...)
-Petite Suite (for 4 hands)
-Children's Corner (Doctor gradus ad parnassum, The snow is dancing, Golliwog's cakewalk)
-etc.

As for Ravel, everything! But maybe these are the ones I like most:
-Pavane pour une infante defunte
-Jeux d'eau
-Miroirs
-Sonatine
-Le tombeau de Couperin
-Gaspard de la nuit
-Valses nobles et sentimentals (several)

[hewitthebigbelly]

Definitely Debussy. I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I just can't stand most of Ravel's music. I don't care if you think I just don't have a mature ear (or whatever else people say because I don't like him), but most of his songs are just random notes.

Debussy's music, on the other hand, is so beautiful it's unreal. There's nothing else like it. My favorite pieces are Clair de Lune, Prelude, and Passipied from the Suite Bergamasque, Arabesque 1, and Sarabande from Pour le piano.

[evitaevita]

Definitely Debussy. I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I just can't stand most of Ravel's music. I don't care if you think I just don't have a mature ear (or whatever else people say because I don't like him), but most of his songs are just random notes.

Debussy's music, on the other hand, is so beautiful it's unreal. There's nothing else like it. My favorite pieces are Clair de Lune, Prelude, and Passipied from the Suite Bergamasque, Arabesque 1, and Sarabande from Pour le piano.

I respect others' opinions and tastes and certainly I'm not trying to dissuade you, but have you listened to "Pavane pour une infante defunte" or "Bolero" or "Jeux d'eau"
Especially for pavane, the notes are only the necessary ones!

[hewitthebigbelly]

I respect others' opinions and tastes and certainly I'm not trying to dissuade you, but have you listened to "Pavane pour une infante defunte" or "Bolero" or "Jeux d'eau"
Especially for pavane, the notes are only the necessary ones!

Yes bolero and pavane are good, but Jeux d'eau is a great example of the random notes, at least in some parts of the song.

[lisztmusicfan]

I agree with hewitt about how sometimes Ravel just puts  random notes in the score (gaspard de la nuit, anybody) but his music can also tell a story, as can Debussy's. Thats why I picked these two for a battle lol

[andreslr6]

I don't care if you think I just don't have a mature ear (or whatever else people say because I don't like him), but most of his songs are just random notes.

well, what kind of response do you expect by expressing this kind of opinion??

You're not forced to like or not like X composer, but you should probably train your ears before making such an empty and vague argument, be it of a composer you completely hate or the composer you like the most. Unless you're just lazy and/or really don't care about having a reasonable and productive conversation about musical repertoire and composers....

[perprocrastinate]

Definitely Debussy. I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I just can't stand most of Ravel's music. I don't care if you think I just don't have a mature ear (or whatever else people say because I don't like him), but most of his songs are just random notes.

They are not random notes. This is a fact. Educate yourself.

[h_chopin148]

Definitely Debussy. I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I just can't stand most of Ravel's music. I don't care if you think I just don't have a mature ear (or whatever else people say because I don't like him), but most of his songs are just random notes.

Not to be a snob, but pieces not songs....    and in my opinion Ravel is soooo much more than random notes.

[amelialw]

I love listening to Ravel but Debussy fits my hands much better in general...

[pianoman53]

Random notes?! what?! Get some knowledge in the subjects you discuss! Nothing in Ravel is random! Just because you're not clever enough to get it doesn't mean it's random! God, what's happening to this forum?! Soon someone will start questioning the greatness of Bach and Beethoven, and claim that Clayderman is a better composer...!

[austinarg]

Definitely Debussy. I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I just can't stand most of Ravel's music. I don't care if you think I just don't have a mature ear (or whatever else people say because I don't like him), but most of his songs are just random notes.

This reminds me of a friend of mine who said Gaspard was "an atonal piece of sh*t" 

[lisztmusicfan]

I agree that Ravel has witen some awesome things and they definitely aren't random notes, but I have to say Gaspard is my least favorite piece by Ravel as I feel that it isn't just weird, its also stupidly hard. My personal fav among the two is Debussy because of the colors he can paint in his pieces. IMO